Olson’s impact on SDSU College of Nursing continues

Roberta Olson is a 1964 South Dakota State University nursing graduate, and it would be 30 years following her undergraduate graduation before she returned to campus to serve as dean of the College of Nursing. 

The college saw significant changes and growth during Olson’s 20-year tenure as dean, and her impact continues today, with a financial commitment announced last fall to endow the position she used to hold. 

Her generosity has resulted in the Roberta K. Olson Endowed Dean of the College of Nursing, a post held by Mary Anne Krogh. 

Growth off, on campus 

In her time away from SDSU, Olson earned her master’s degree in 1968 from Washington University and her Ph.D. in organization and administration in higher education from St. Louis University in 1984. 

She returned to the SDSU campus in 1994 as the dean of the College of Nursing, serving in this role until she retired in 2013. She was asked to return as interim dean in 2018 for a year while the search for Krogh was underway. Olson now holds the title of dean emerita. 

As dean, Olson led the college in gaining South Dakota Board of Regents approval for its Ph.D. in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and accelerated nursing programs in Sioux Falls and Aberdeen. 

With the goal of addressing the state’s nursing shortage, Olson also grew the college’s faculty to allow more nursing students to be accepted. SDSU’s College of Nursing started admitting students twice a year in Rapid City and increased the number of Brookings nursing slots from 48 to 64 per semester. She also started the standard program in Sioux Falls. 

“I didn’t do this by myself,” Olson said. “It was absolutely a faculty effort.” 

The College of Nursing has grown from graduating 100 registered nurses per year in the early 1990s to around 300 per year now. Additionally, 46 nursing Ph.D. students have graduated from the program since its founding, including Dean Krogh. 

Ongoing support 

Now retired, for the second time, Olson continues to impact the college in a different way. 

Olson’s motivation for her endowed support of the College of Nursing started during her time as dean. 

As she met with other deans from around the country, she heard about the “extra money” available to these colleges. Olson found herself asking how that was done. In 2013 following her retirement, she started the process of making it a reality. 

“It’s humbling to be able to do that,” Olson said. “But at the same time, it gives the college just a little extra boost for those special needs.” 

Krogh said she’s grateful for the gift, and it benefits more than just the endowed position holder. 

“This endowment means a lot to me personally because Roberta has become a friend and a mentor to me since I joined SDSU,” Krogh said. “The endowment will assist us with continuing to build upon the strong foundation created by Dean Emerita Olson." 

The endowment of the dean provides ongoing financial support to be used at the discretion of the holder. The endowment is already being used to fund professional development for faculty. As the endowment becomes fully funded, it will be used to grow resources and support faculty, including postdoctoral fellowships and graduate assistantships. 

“This will continue to expand the influence of the College of Nursing and set the stage for future deans to further impact the health and well-being of South Dakota,” Krogh said. 

Olson said the endowment allows the dean to be flexible in meeting challenges that arise while funding proactive initiatives within the college. 

She pointed to the challenges of hiring and assisting with tuition costs to educate master’s prepared faculty to complete their Ph.D.s in nursing to grow the program as one instance where the endowment would have come in handy during her time as dean. 

Making history 

Olson now serves on the College of Nursing Development Team, a resource for both the college and SDSU Foundation as they work toward future development. 

Al Bahe, development director for the College of Nursing with the SDSU Foundation, said this is a dream Olson has been working toward since she first learned of an endowment’s impact. Now, it’s becoming a reality. 

“That day was definitely a highlight for me, watching her come to grips with the history she was making and to see her so proud, pleased and happy to fulfill her dream,” Bahe said. 

She hasn’t stopped there. Olson also helps by calling other individuals potentially interested in providing philanthropic support to the College of Nursing and thanking those who have in the past. 

Olson still enjoys being connected to campus through attending basketball games and attending Hobo Day festivities, in addition to her other duties.